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KV Tanks
The KV tanks were a series of Soviet Heavy Tanks named after the Soviet defense commissar and politician Kliment Voroshiliv and used by the Red Army during World War Two. The KV series were known for their extremely heavy armour protection during the early part of the war, especially during the first year of the German Invasion of the Soviet Union They were almost completely immune to the 37mm Kwk 36 and Howitzer-like, short barreled 75mm guns mounted respectively on the early Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks fielded by the invading Germam forces. Until better guns were developed by the Germans it was often the case that the only way to defeat a KV was with a point-blank shot to the rear. Prior to the German invasion of the USSR, about 500 of the over 22,000 tanks then in Soviet service were of the KV-1 type. When the KV-1 appeared, it outclassed the French Char B1 the only other heavy tank in operational service in the world at that time. Yet, in the end, it turned out that there was little sense in producing the expensive KV tanks, as the T-34 medium tank performed better (or at least equally well) in all practical respects. Later in the war, the KV series became a base for the development of the IS (IS - Josif Stalin) series of tanks. Models KV-1: First Production model. Armed with a 76mm gun, and had up to 90mm of armor. KV-2: A heavy assault tank with the 152mm gun, the KV-2 was produced at the same time as the KV-1. Due to the size of its heavy turret and gun, the KV-2 was slower and had a much higher profile than the KV-1. KV-3: Expeeimental tank tank based on the KV-1 but longer chanssis. KV-4. Experimental Super Heavy tank. Weighing around 85 to 110 tones, and armed with a 107mm gun KV-5: A cancelled project for a Heavy Tank. Armament was to be a 107 mm ZiS-6 gun in a large turret and machine-gun in a small secondary turret. Weight was projected as about 100 tons, and the tank was to have 150-180mm of armor. Project development began in June 1941, however was cancelled due to the Seige of Stalingrad, when all developmental operations at the Kirov Plant were halted. KV-6: Developet from the KV-1 project got no were. KV-7: A self propeled tank based on thE KV-1 chassis armed with 3 guns two 45mm and 76mm gun. Canceled. KV-8: A KV-1 armed with a flamethrower next to the gun. The 76mm was replaced by a 45mm gun but a tub was placed over the gun to make it look like a 76mm KV-9:A KV-1 armed with a 122mm. Gun. KV-10: A KV-1 armed with rockets on the side of the turret. KV-11: A KV-1 armed with an 85mm gun. Not taken KV-12: An Experimental Chemical tank. With 4 toxin tanks KV-13: A medium tank project cancelled but lead to the IS tanks KV-14: Taken in servise as the SU-152 KV-85: KV-1 armed with a 85mm gun KV-85G: KV-1S with a new turret armed with a 85mm gun KV-152: A KV-1 armed with a 152mm gun KV-100: KV-85 armed with a 100mm gun KV-122: KV-85 with a 122mm gun KV-220: Based on the KV-1 but with a longer chassis. One prototype built in 1941. It was destroyed.